The present invention relates to a fluid deflecting assembly for use in an outlet port of an air conditioning unit or the like for deflecting a discharged fluid flow in a desired direction.
Air conditioning units for cooling and warming limited spaces should preferably have means for directing a discharged cool air flow horizontally and a discharged warm air flow downwardly so as to achieve a uniform temperature distribution within the air-conditioned space. The air conditioning units should also be capable of deflecting a discharged air flow laterally in order to eliminate or reduce unwanted localized air flows resulting from certain positional limitations that the air conditioning units may suffer in actual installation.
One known fluid outlet construction or fluid deflecting assembly for use in air conditioning units is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 58-20839 published on Feb. 8, 1983. FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings illustrate the disclosed fluid outlet construction. The prior fluid outlet construction has a plurality of guide walls 1a, 1b (only two shown), a discharge nozzle 2, and a deflector plate 3 rotatable by a shaft 4. The deflector plate 3 serves to guide a fluid flow discharged from the nozzle 2 to get attached to and flow along one of the guide walls 1a, 1b (the guide wall 1a in the position of FIG. 1), thereby deflecting the fluid flow. The direction in which the fluid flow is discharged from the fluid outlet construction can be changed by rotating the deflector plate 3 to cause the fluid flow to flow along different guide walls. The prior fluid deflecting construction has been disadvantageous, however, in that the deflector plate 3 placed in the fluid flow presents a resistance to the fluid flow and is of such a shape as to disturb streamlines of the fluid flow, with the result that the fluid flow will not be well attached to the guide walls. Another problem is that the directions in which the fluid flow can be discharged from the outlet assembly are limited only to those along the guide walls; and, hence, the fluid flow cannot be directed perpendicularly to the nozzle.